Pacquiao, like Mayweather (in September 2015) announced his intention to step away from the sport in April but just three months later the newly-elected Filipino Senator was planning a return.

Asked by a reporter in the dressing room of protégé Danny Gonzalez on Saturday night what he thought of Pacquiao ‘returning for the money.’ Mayweather gave the following response.

It’s your team. It’s all about who you surround yourself with,” said Mayweather in an interview recorded by Elie Seckbach.

“I don’t know who is his promoter. I gave him the option before about fighting him the first time. I think I offered him $40 million but I told him I’d wire him $20 million within 48 hours.

“At that particular time, he told me he wanted 50-50 and he got off the phone. I think I was set to make probably $75 (million) at that time, somewhere upwards of 75 but it’s all about timing.

“I took my time, waited, communicated and leading up to the fight always made smart investments. Leading up to the fight - that week, we made something like $30 million cash. And for the Canelo fight too, for those to fights we made $400 million - just for those two fights.

“You know I was blessed. I think luck was on my side. I came around in the right time – in the nineties and I built my fan base before all this social media. It wasn’t easy.

“The ultimate goal is to bring these California fans to Las Vegas,” he added.

Mayweather, 39, once again declared himself out of the physical side of boxing for good during his informal chat with the media as rival Pacquiao prepares to challenge for yet another world title in the fall.

_________________Let's get ready to Rumble in the Jungle when the bells will Jingle to start the Bungle!

"That's the biggest problem in the sport today. We really shouldn't criticize these fighters. We should be criticizing the people surrounding them, who are taking from these young fighters. As a promoter, the ultimate goal is to get every fighter to their highest plateau that they can possibly get to and have them make the most amount of money possible, leaving them with something left after they retire."

"I genuinely care about these fighters. The fighters are going out there taking all of the chances...broken ribs, bloody noses, cut eyes. The fighters have to go through this. There's no reason why everyone around the fighter should be living well, while the fighter isn't."

_________________Let's get ready to Rumble in the Jungle when the bells will Jingle to start the Bungle!

Sugar Ray Robinson (born Walker Smith Jr.; May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989) was an American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight andmiddleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight. He was inducted into theInternational Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

Robinson was 85–0 as an amateur with 69 of those victories coming by way of knockout, 40 in the first round. He turned professional in 1940 at the age of 19 and by 1951 had a professional record of 128–1–2 with 84 knockouts. From 1943 to 1951 Robinson went on a 91 fight unbeaten streak, the third longest in professional boxing history. Robinson held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951, and won the world middleweight title in the latter year. He retired in 1952, only to come back two and a half years later and regain the middleweight title in 1955. He then became the first boxer in history to win a divisional world championship five times, a feat he accomplished by defeating Carmen Basilio in 1958 to regain the middleweight championship. Robinson was named "fighter of the year" twice: first for his performances in 1942, then nine years and over 90 fights later, for his efforts in 1951.

Renowned for his flamboyant lifestyle outside the ring, Robinson is credited with being the originator of the modern sports "entourage". After his boxing career ended, Robinson attempted a career as an entertainer, but it was not successful. He struggled financially until his death in 1989. In 2006, he was featured on a commemorative stamp by the United States Postal Service.

_________________Let's get ready to Rumble in the Jungle when the bells will Jingle to start the Bungle!

AT his very best, Manny Pacquiao fought like a comic book superhero come to life. There was a swirl of action almost faster than the eye could see, as he swooped in, unleashed a series of leather-encased lightning-bolts and spun away before your brain could catch up with your senses.

It was intoxicating stuff, a fighter who laughed and waved as he jogged to the ring and then turned into a stone-cold assassin until his job was done. Then he reverted to the humble, fun-loving Pinoy as seamlessly as Superman became Clark Kent.

The first Pacquiao fight I attended was the Jorge Eliecer Julio bout in Memphis the night Lennox Lewis ended any chance Mike Tyson had of ever regaining the heavyweight title. I’d seen Manny destroy Lehlo Ledwaba and the foul-infested technical draw with Agapito Sanchez on TV, but the power of his blows was even more startling in person.

Poor Julio went down twice in the second round, and from the way he reacted, it looked like he’d been hit by invisible projectile from a rocket launcher.

For the most part the 15,327 patrons at The Pyramid were not hard-core boxing fans. They’d come to see Lewis and Tyson. To them the preliminaries were just a way to pass the time until the main event. However, when Manny’s first knockdown punch landed, there was an audible gasp from the crowd. Then he did it again and suddenly everybody was paying attention.

How was it possible this skinny 120-pound man could generate such overwhelming punching power? Julio, who had never been stopped in 47 previous pro bouts, was probably thinking the same when referee Bill Clancy rescued him at the 1-09 mark. Up close you could almost taste the primal power and smell the burning ambition.

Except for a brief sighting at the airport the morning after he dismantled Julio, the next time I saw Pacquiao in the flesh was in Manila. I was there to present him withThe Ring magazine featherweight championship belt he had won by stopping Marco Antonio Barrera in November 2003.

Ted Lerner, the magazine’s Philippines correspondent, had arranged for the ceremony to take at Malacanang Palace, the traditional home of the president of Philippines. An event that would have been lucky to receive a few lines in a boxing notes column back home was headlines news in the Philippines.

I have given fighters their belts at press conferences, photo shoots, in gyms and hotel rooms and, of course, in the ring, but this was an over-the-top extravaganza, one of those surreal experiences when you have a hard time believing is actually happening.

That the “belting” (as the Filipinos termed it) took place in such a prestigious setting with then-president Gloria Arroyo and Manila Mayor Lito Atienza in attendance clearly demonstrated how important Pacquiao was to his country and its leaders.

There was a general election coming up, and after I strapped the belt around Manny’s waist and raised his left arm, he reached over, took President Arroyo’s arm and raised it. We stood there, each holding one of the champ’s arms aloft as a small army of TV and print media recorded the moment for posterity.

Arroyo, who was running for a second term, couldn’t have asked for a better endorsement. Pacquiao was a savvy politician years before he ran for office.

Oddly enough, what I remember most about my first meeting with Manny earlier that day, before going to Malacanang, was that he was late, looked like he’d just rolled out of bed and forgotten to brush his teeth.

During my stay in the Philippines I gained a greater understanding of how Pacquiao’s early career helped shape a raw 14-year-old runaway into the dynamic fighter he would become. A visit to the L & M Gym, where Manny first learned to box, was a real–eye-opener. Located on a narrow side street in the gritty Sampaloc area, it made even the dingiest gym in the U.S. look like lavish by comparison.

“The workout area is a cramped box barely big enough for two worn-out heavybags, a tattered ring and dilapidated weightlifting equipment,” wrote Lerner in an article about the venerable sweatshop. “There are no fans or windows, and the dirty low ceiling traps the sultry tropical air inside, making it brutally hot and humid. Besides the stifling heat, the air is thick with the smell of old sweat and urine from plugged-up toilets.”

When I stepped out of the mercifully air-conditioned office and into the gym itself, the heat almost made my knees buckle. It was difficult to breathe and I soon began to feel dizzy and nauseous. A quick exit restored me, but how boxers survive training in such inhuman conditions is beyond me.

“The grittiness and the stench makes them tough,” said co-owner Moi Lainez, giggling at what he must have known was an absurdity.

“In their minds, the fighters think that if you train here, you’ll get lucky,” added Lito Mondejar, Lainez’s partner.

When Pacquiao began his pro career, Rod Nazario, his manager, and Mondejar promoted a series of weekly shows called “Blow by Blow” that featured up-and-coming Filipino fighters and were shown throughout the country.

Filipinos have an affinity for Kamikaze-style sluggers, and thanks to his reckless attack and knockout punch, Manny soon became the star of the show.

Although he eventually refined his style considerably working with Freddie Roach, it was at the L & M Gym and on “Blow by Blow” that Manny’s uncompromising go-for-broke style was originated and fostered.

The belting trip took place in March 2004, but Pacquiao was already the most popular person in the Philippines, and it grew from there into something resembling a cult of personality. Soon the world woke up to the fact that it had an extraordinary fighter on its hands –an offensive whirlwind with a boyish smile and personality that was hard to resist. His trajectory soared and by the time Pacquiao ended Oscar De La Hoya’s career in 2008 he was an international superstar.

Still, despite his success in the United States, Pacquiao’s remarkable story begins and ends in the Philippines, where a poverty-stricken boy risked his all for a better life and a chance to be great.

Lerner, an American journalist who has lived in the Philippines for more than 20 years, remembers the early years and recalls hanging with Manny at a small party following his fourth-round knockout of Arnel Barotillo in Manila in 2000.

“Manny loved to party in those days and I recall sitting next to him as we both downed copious amounts of beer and ate fresh tuna sashimi brought up from General Santos,” said Lerner. “We were deep in conversation and I kept telling Manny how he had to go to the U.S. because U.S. boxing fans would absolutely love his all-action style. I remember how excited he was listening to me. ‘Really Ted, do you think they will like me there?’

“He asked me several times and I kept reassuring him they would love him. Then I asked him, ‘Manny, do you think you can handle all the great fighters in the U.S. if you ever get a chance to fight there?’ I will never forget the wide grin on his face as he leaned really close to my face and said, ‘Ted, I will not stop punching. I will never back down.’ ”

The next year, perhaps buoyed by Lerner’s advice, Pacquiao travelled to the United States where he walked into Roach’s Wild Card Gym. It was a match made in boxing heaven. The fighter and the trainer hit if off immediately and began a partnership that carried them to the top of the sport.

Good as his word, Manny never stopped punching and never backed down.

Fred Sternburg, Pacquiao’s publicist for more than a decade, says that Manny was just as fearless at trying new things outside the ring as he was cultivating his fighting skills under Roach’s tutelage.

“Manny didn’t have much command of the English language but he was determined to learn,” said Sternburg. “But as bad as he was he wasn’t embarrassed. The first year or so HBO had translators, just in case he didn’t understand something, but after a while he would kind of push the translator away a bit and try to answer in English.”

Pacquiao was just as confident the first time he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC-TV’s late-night talk show.

“When he first went on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, they thought it was joke when they asked him to sing,” said Sternburg. “Manny took it seriously but had fun with it and won everybody over. From the singing and cheesy movies to the endorsements and politics, there’s nothing he ever thought was impossible for him.”

Pacquiao evolved over time as both a boxer and a person. Toward the end of the 2010, he seemed to lose some of his ferocity, easing up on opponents when he had the fight well in hand. In his bouts with Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, Manny looked imploringly at the referee on a number of occasions, hoping he would halt the carnage before he was forced to inflict any more damage. Then, after stopping Cotto in one of his finest performances, the knockouts disappeared.

Some observers think the emergence of a more merciful Manny coincided with a change in his private life. He left the Catholic Church and became an Evangelical Protestant, abandoned his womanising and drinking, gambling. The fighter who stayed up all night shooting billiards, attending the cockfights and painting the town had become a homebody, the builder of churches and leader of Bible studies.

It’s virtually impossible to separate the fighter from the man. Most boxers’ personalities are reflected in their fighting style. Still, the theory that Pacquiao became less exciting in the ring when he abandoned his hedonistic lifestyle is just that, a theory.

“There is no correlation at all between the vices you mentioned and his intensity in the ring,” said Top Rank’s Hall of Fame matchmaker, Bruce Trampler, “but his growing compassion for opponents did. Manny’s religious beliefs and faith made him more humane. Freddie Roach had to constantly remind him that boxing is a hurting game.”

Whatever the reality, Manny’s metamorphosis almost certainly had something to do with age – a mellowing accompanied by the inevitable erosion of a body subjected to two decades in the prize ring. Even so, those of us who saw him at the height of his youthful exuberance will never forget it.

“For me Manny was at his best in the late 1990s and early 2000s,” said Lerner. “This was the raw, un-packaged, totally carefree Manny that you couldn’t take your eyes off of. He survived a brutal war with Australia’s Nedal Hussein in 2000 and went on to clean out every top fighter in Asia. His annihilation of Ledwaba in 2001 in his first fight in the U.S. was pure, breathtaking viciousness. The icing on the cake, when I think of the very best Manny was his total destruction of Marco Antonio Barerra in 2003.”

Although he might very well change his mind and fight again, we will never see that Pacquiao again. Besides, he has already declined an opportunity to represent the Philippines at the Rio Olympics in order to concentrate on his new political duties.

“Manny’s political success as a Senator is very much an open question at this point,” said Lerner. “He did very little as a congressman. Now as a Senator he will be under the spotlight to perform. Like every other politician here, Manny has already jumped ship from his party to the new president’s party so he will certainly fit in.

“The new president, Rodrigo Duerte, is quite controversial so it will be interesting to see if Manny can stake some positions that are contrary to the new leader or if he will just go along with the prevailing wind. If he wants to aspire to higher political office, Manny will have to speak out against injustice, and there is plenty of that to go around in the Philippines.”

Regardless of what happens in the political arena, Pacquiao has already earned his place as one of history’s most remarkable boxers, a first-ballot Hall of Famer and much more. Very few fighters have carried their punch as they moved up in weight as successfully as Pacquiao. Don’t forget he weighed 106 pounds for his pro debut and was still knocking out world-class fighters at super-lightweight.

Eight major titles from flyweight to super-welterweight are impressive enough, but the list of men he beat is even more impressive. Besides those already mentioned, there was Chatchai Sasakul, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton and Timothy Bradley. Even the second-tier adversaries were well above average, worthy fighters such as Oscar Larios, Jorge Solis, David Diaz, Joshua Clottey and Brandon Rios.

Yes, Pacquiao had his losses – six all told, most famously to Floyd Mayweather Jr., but that’s going to happen when taking risks is second nature. Manny started taking risks when he stowed away on the ferry from his home in General Santos City to Manila, and was still taking risks when he entered the ring against Mayweather with a bum arm.

Trying to compare fighters from different eras is an empty exercise. Sure, lots of people enjoy those debates but they’re subjective at best and unfair at worse. Suffice to say Pacquiao has been the most fascinating fighter I’ve covered in more than 40 years on the boxing beat and, for much of his career, the one I most looked forward to covering. That’s got to count for something.

This feature was originally published in Boxing News magazine.

_________________Let's get ready to Rumble in the Jungle when the bells will Jingle to start the Bungle!

Manny Pacquiao is Broke? Mayweather Blames Arum; Fight With Jessie Vargas is ‘Only for the Money’ According to ESPN Analyst

Hanzen Lazarus | Aug 29, 2016 11:26 PM EDT

The boxing world awaits the big September fights which will feature its supposed next star Canelo Alvarez, but Manny Pacquiao's next fight on November 5 is also generating controversy.

The Filipino boxing legend has been more active outside the ring (since he has technically retired) and is now a Senator in his native land. However, he still decided to make a return to the ring where he still claimed his biggest victories.

While this is supposed to be good news for fight fans, his arch-nemesis is insinuating that Pacman's motive for returning is not that noble.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is actually expressing concern for his former rival when he talked to ES News (h/t Fight Saga) about what he believes to be Pacquiao's huge dilemma. Money May believes Pacquiao is already broke and he blames Pacman's promoter and management team.

"Your team," Floyd Mayweather stated to ESNews. "It's all about who you surround yourself with. Who is his promoter? It's all about surrounding yourself with the right people and making smart investments."

To be specific, Mayweather was discussing Manny's take-home pay on their fight in 2015, which was the biggest fight in history in terms of financial revenues. Pacquao was reportedly due $150 million for that fight. According to former Pacquiao trainer Alex Ariza, Manny took less than that-much less.

"I know he didn't make $150 million," strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza stated to ESNews a few weeks ago. "I saw Manny's check. He didn't make $150 million...I know he didn't make that much. When I say I saw the check, I literally saw Manny's check. He made maybe a tenth of that. Floyd was shocked at what he got."

Mayweather then mentioned that he initially offered Pacquiao $40 million and suggested he leave Bob Arum's fold. "I gave him the option before when I talked to him about fighting the first time," stated Mayweather, concerning a phone conversation with the Pacman in 2012. "I think I offered him $40 million at that time? I told him I would wire him $20 million within 48 hours. At that particular time he said he wanted 50/50, and he got off the phone."

If Mayweather and Ariza's claims are true, Pacman definitely lost money since he only took around $15 million. Floyd then laments on how the boxers should be the one taking the bulk of the profits.

"I genuinely care about these fighters. The fighters are going out there taking all of the chances...broken ribs, bloody noses, cut eyes. The fighters have to go through this. There's no reason why everyone around the fighter should be living well, while the fighter isn't."

This insinuation coincides with the comments of Max Kellerman of ESPN First Take which were refuted by Jessie Vargas, Pacquiao's next opponent (h/t Boxing News 24). Kellerman criticized Pacquiao for choosing Vargas stating that Pacman chose Vargas over undefeated Terence Crawford because he's only fighting for money rather than for the sport.

Kellerman believes that Vargas was the "easier choice" rather than Crawford, the reason is that Pacquiao's last victim, Tim Bradley, already beat Vargas.

"People can say what they want to say," said Vargas to Thaboxingvoice.com. "Sometimes there are comments from people that are actually boxing analysts such as Max Kellerman. Sometimes he says things that are very ignorant. It's just stupidity. It doesn't make sense that he always wants to take credit away from me as I'm coming into a fight. Yeah, I'm going to beat him. You're saying if Jessie Vargas beats him, he's all washed up. But if it were some other guy, 'Oh, he's the next superstar."

Pacquiao did not announce that this is his last fight and he needs a win in order to get a higher purse on his next fight. That is the assumed motivation for the choice.

Is Pacman really broke? Does he need the money that bad or is Mayweather just looking for a chance to diss Bob Arum again?

_________________Let's get ready to Rumble in the Jungle when the bells will Jingle to start the Bungle!

After a brief stint at featherweight, Donaire dropped back to 122-pounds and captured the vacant WBO title last December in Puerto Rico with a very hard-fought decision win over Cesar Juarez.

He returned to the ring on April 23rd and made his first defense with a third round stoppage of Zsolt Bedak.

Magdaleno picked up three wins in 2015 and fought back in February, when he stopped Rey Perez in seven rounds.

Magdaleno has a tentative return date of July 16th and hopes to face Donaire in the fall. Both Magdaleno and Donaire are promoted by Top Rank.

While Magdaleno is ranked at number one under the WBO, four of his last five fights have taken place above the super bantamweight limit. Magdaleno has not weighed at 122 since January of last year. He fought at featherweight for his last two contests.

There have been concerns about Magdaleno's ability to make the super bantamweight limit.

The fighter's manager, Frank Espinoza, is confident his boxer's issues with weight are a thing of the past.

"He's working really hard right now. He's very motivated. There were some issues outside of the ring, but all of that has been resolved. He's very hungry, he looks great and he wants that shot at Donaire. Weight is not an issue. If the fight gets made, he's making 122 no problem," Espinoza told BoxingScene.com.

"Jessie will fight in the summer, but then he wants that Donaire fight in the fall. He's ready to make a statement. Both guys are with Top Rank and there shouldn't be any issues with making this fight happen. I heard Bob Arum wants to make another 'No-Trump' pay-per-view in the fall, with the pay-per-view fights involving Mexicans and world titles. A Magdaleno vs. Donaire fight would be perfect for that show. Jessie is ready to fight him anywhere...in Las Vegas, in California, at a senate rally for Manny Pacquiao in the Philippines. Wherever Top Rank wants it to happen, Jessie is ready to fight him and beat him."

_________________Let's get ready to Rumble in the Jungle when the bells will Jingle to start the Bungle!

MANILA, Philippines – Twenty-one years on and the Manny Pacquiao show is still running.

The number of onlookers at his training sessions has increased since those early days, and it takes Pacquiao longer to get into third gear each time he returns to training. But when he steps on the gas for short bursts of powerful combinations on the mitts, the punches still make that familiar crack, and he growls like the young man he was when he still had something left to prove.

Familiar faces congregated Wednesday evening to watch a training session at an Elorde Gym branch in Pasay City, Philippines, just a few minutes down the street from the Philippine Senate, where Pacquiao now serves as a first-term legislator.

The 37-year-old Pacquiao is in the early stages of training for a comeback from an announced retirement which lasted shorter than some of his recent gaps between fights. He’ll face WBO welterweight titleholder Jessie Vargas on Nov. 5 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, the same venue where he twice knocked out Erik Morales in 2006. It’ll be his first fight outside of a casino since his 2010 win over Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium.

Despite co-starring in the most financially lucrative boxing event in history last year against Floyd Mayweather Jr., and the slim prospects of a rematch, he continues to fight on, with promoter Bob Arum saying he’ll fight twice more in 2017.

Why does he do it? For the same reason many boxers find it hard to stay away. Being an “ex” something you’ve been great at is hard to accept, and the cheers are never as loud in the memory as they are in the moment.

“I missed boxing, I grew up in boxing. I felt lonely when I stopped boxing. Boxing is my passion,” says Pacquiao.

His schedule these days as someone with a day job is similar to that of an upstart boxer who has to work a 9-to-5 while his career gathers steam. He wakes up and does roadwork around his exclusive Makati City neighborhood at 6 a.m., then heads to his senate job from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., after which he trains.

On this day he worked the mitts with Buboy Fernandez, his longtime biggest supporter and constant companion. On Friday night he’ll trade in his boxing shoes for basketball sneakers: his Philippine Basketball Association team, Mahindra Enforcer, has a 7 p.m. game against Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Pacquiao says he will train in Manila for this fight, and leave for the U.S. to fight when the senate is on break. He had been criticized heavily in the Philippines for being among the most chronically absent congressmen during his two three-year terms from 2010 to 2016, and had run for higher office this year on the promise that he’d focus fully on his duties should he be elected to one of the 12 senatorial seats up for grabs.

His retirement didn’t stick, but he has been diligent in attending senate sessions. Pacquiao confidante Joe Ramos says Pacquiao will leave for the United States on Wednesday night, Sept. 7, after attending his senate hearings, to participate in a promotional press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. The plan is to arrive back in the Philippines on Monday, Sept. 12 to be back at his day job.

Still to be worked out is when trainer Freddie Roach will come to the Philippines. An exact date for when they go to the U.S. ahead of the fight has also not been established as they figure out when the senate is in recess (he promised not to take a leave for the fight), but Pacquiao says he’ll be in the States “at least 10 days before the fight.”

Pacquiao also isn’t sure about the matter of U.S. television after HBO passed on the Vargas fight, saying they didn’t want two pay-per-views in the same billing cycle with the Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev light heavyweight title showdown set for two weeks after, according to ESPN. That’s a matter for Arum to handle though, Pacquiao says.

Pacquiao confirmed that there was talk of fighting twice more in 2017 but says he would discuss his next fight only after getting past Vargas (27-1, 10 knockouts), a fighter 10 years his junior who is coming off his biggest win to date, a ninth-round technical knockout of 2008 U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali to win the welterweight belt Bradley abandoned to face Pacquiao a third time for a bigger payday than he’d get for a rematch with Vargas, whom he defeated by decision in June of 2015.

The Vargas matchup has not generated any excitement about Pacquiao’s comeback at home or abroad, with consensus opinion being that RING junior welterweight titleholder Terence Crawford is more of a fight worth coming back for.

Still, the eight-division champion says he’ll approach his Mexican-American opponent like he does any other foe.

“I don’t want to underestimate him. He’s a champion so I always consider my opponent as one of the best,” said Pacquiao.

With a full schedule set for 2017 and the gyms lined with spectators to watch him train, Pacquiao won’t be feeling lonely again any time soon. Onward to year 22 and beyond.

_________________Let's get ready to Rumble in the Jungle when the bells will Jingle to start the Bungle!

Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas PPV bout to be distributed by Top Rank, not HBOBy Robby Kalland

Manny Pacquiao will make his return to the boxing ring after his extremely brief retirement on Nov. 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas against WBO welterweight titleholder Jessie Vargas.

The fight will be a pay-per-view event, but Pacquiao will not be fighting on an HBO presentation this time, as Top Rank boss Bob Arum has decided to do the pay-per-view production himself. Arum told RingTV.comthat he hopes to change the "status quo" of pay-per-view productions with this move.

"Just like most human beings, you go and accept the status quo," Arum said to RingTV.com. "And so for years we've had this plan of having HBO distribute and it was convenient. Now, because of their position that we we're too close to the Ward-Kovalev fight (on Nov. 19), we suddenly realized -- who the hell needs them?"

Arum noted that by bypassing HBO and negotiating directly with the TV companies, he can save the 7.5 percent charge that usually goes to HBO's production arm from the fight sales.

"The distributor charges 7.5 percent and actually enters into three contracts with Direct TV, Dish and with in-Demand," said Arum. "We do those contracts ourselves. In other words, they negotiate them but we do them ourselves, so why would we pay 7.5 percent to anybody if we can get all of the publicity and the promotion from others by supplying it to networks that have a much bigger audience then say an HBO."

Without HBO, there will not be a 24/7 series on the fight in the same format, but Arum is looking to take a different route to supplement the promotion of the fight by selling programming to networks like CBS, NBC and ABC.

"In other words, it's like a '24/7' but I think it's going to be much more innovative," Arum said. "We're going to do major pieces that have never been seen before. We're going to take cameras right into the Senate, see them considering bills. I think it's going to be fascinating."

As for the commentating team, it's unknown right now who will be on the fight call, but it will not be the normal voices we've grown accustomed to on past Pacquiao fights as Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and the HBO will not be ringside. Arum says he's in contact with "major names" but has not worked out any official deals yet.

The decision to self-promote the pay-per-view is an interesting decision, and one that makes business sense on the surface. However, there's a reason HBO and Showtime are the two dominant houses of boxing television and it's because they have the best in the business producing, commentating and shooting the action. If Top Rank can find a way to put on a similar level of production, it could certainly shake up the boxing pay-per-view landscape in the future.

_________________Let's get ready to Rumble in the Jungle when the bells will Jingle to start the Bungle!

And although Senator Pacquiao has started camp without the benefit of having Hall of Fame boxing trainer Freddie Roach present, Manny seems to have everything currently under control. As seen in the attached video, the Pacman looks impressive, doing pad-drills with best friend and assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez.

(Image: Credit: Chris Farina - Top Rank)

One would have to assume that after all of these years working under the tutelage of the heralded seven-time trainer of the year, the soon to be 38 year old fight legend knows how to properly prepare for a world-class opponent like Jessie Vargas, and appears to have the discipline to motivate himself.

Does Manny Pacquiao still need boxing icon Freddie Roach to be successful in the ring at this stage of his future Hall of Fame career?

According to three decade fight trainer and master boxing strategist James Gogue, absolutely.

"An experienced fight trainer assumes many more roles in a fighter's career than just teaching him the fundamentals of boxing," insists the expert boxing coach.

"You have to manage the entire camp for the fighter, which means you have to develop the right strategy and find the right sparring to work on the game plan."

"You also have to monitor his weight and work at the appropriate pace for an older fighter, so that he goes into the fight peaking at the right time."

"A knowledgeable trainer like Freddie also provides that extra set of experienced eyes that can trouble shoot any potential problems before they turn into bad habits. No, Freddie isn't going to be teaching Manny Pacquiao how to fight at this stage of his career, but his involvement in Pacquiao's camp is still a necessity if Manny wants to continue competing at the elite level."

Roach is expected to join Manny Pacquiao in camp after the fight is officially announced next week.

_________________Let's get ready to Rumble in the Jungle when the bells will Jingle to start the Bungle!

Pacquiao-Vargas bout to be distributed by Top Rank’s PPV arm after HBO snub

Promotion will highlight Pacquiao's work in the Senate as the fight moves to an independent production

Nissi Icasiano

Published 9:57 PM, September 02, 2016

Updated 9:57 PM, September 02, 2016

MANILA, Philippines – After HBO Sports declined to broadcast Manny Pacquiao’s comeback bout against Jessie Vargas on November 5, Top Rank chief Bob Arum decided to do the pay-per-view (PPV) production himself.

Arum revealed that Top Rank’s own in-house services would produce, distribute and promote the 12-round welterweight championship clash between Pacquiao and Vargas, which takes place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“[We] will change the way that old pay-per-view operates,” he promised in an interview with RingTV.com.

HBO, which aired Pacquiao’s major in-ring encounters in the past, refused to handle the match-up because the cable network’s focus is on the much-awaited confrontation between light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev and former super middleweight kingpin Andre Ward on November 19.

"And so for years, we've had this plan of having HBO distribute and it was convenient,” Arum said. “Now, because of their position that we we're too close to the Ward-Kovalev fight, we suddenly realized - who the hell needs them?"

Arum sees it as good decision as it will allow Top Rank to directly negotiate with television distributors, which will save the promotion a large sum of money.

"The distributor charges 7.5 percent and actually enters into three contracts with Direct TV, Dish and with in-Demand," he stated. "We do those contracts ourselves. In other words, they negotiate them but we do them ourselves, so why would we pay 7.5 percent to anybody if we can get all of the publicity and the promotion from others by supplying it to networks that have a much bigger audience then say an HBO."

The 84-year-old promoter hopes to promote Pacquiao’s ring return versus Vargas on conventional networks such as CBS, NBC and ABC with programming highlighting the Filipino boxer’s work in the Philippines Senate and other interesting storylines that might otherwise have been carried on HBO’s highly-acclaimed 24/7 series.

"In other words, it's like a '24/7' but I think it's going to be much more innovative," Arum asserted. "We're going to do major pieces that have never been seen before. We're going to take cameras right into the Senate, see them considering bills. I think it's going to be fascinating."

As for the commentating panel, Arum stressed that he plans to put a star-studded announcing team, which he will rival the work of HBO’s Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman.

Arum confided that he is in talks with major boxing analysts, but he declined to name one as he has not worked out any official deals yet.

“I think the commentating team is going to blow everybody’s socks off,” he vowed.

According to Arum, Top Rank’s initial plans have received a good feedback from its partners and television companies, which gives him a hindsight that they could pull it off.

“They’re all very, very receptive to getting this kind of programming,” he quipped. “But right now, this looks like the most likely scenario.” – Rappler.com

_________________Let's get ready to Rumble in the Jungle when the bells will Jingle to start the Bungle!

Jerwin Ancajas could have made $40,000 to fight in Puerto Rico. He'll make just over $3,000 to fight McJoe Arroyo in the Philippines, hoping to win the title and earn more in the future

Ryan Songalia

Published 4:19 PM, September 02, 2016

Updated 12:19 PM, September 03, 2016

MANILA, Philippines - While many boxers feel terrible and dehydrated when they step on the scale, Jerwin Ancajas was smiling from sucked-in cheek-to-cheek during Friday’s weigh-in. Ancajas looked more like a man getting ready to greet well-wishers at his birthday party than someone about to fight in his first world championship bout.

The 23-year-old fighter is looking forward to his fight against IBF junior bantamweight champ McJoe Arroyo on Saturday, September 3, but is also looking ahead after making a significant wager on himself in the form of a hometown fight.

Ancajas (23-1-1, 16 knockouts) checked in at the weight limit of 115 pounds ahead of his challenge against IBF junior bantamweight champ McJoe Arroyo (17-0, 8 KOs), who was just under at 114 pounds. The fight takes place at the Philippine Navy Gym in Taguig City, Philippines. The show is free-to-all with the doors opening at 4 pm. The main event is expected to go on at 9 pm.

The fight had been delayed multiple times for a variety of reasons, and was originally set for February in Arroyo’s backyard of Puerto Rico. When the main event between Roman “Rocky” Martinez and Orlando Salido was canceled the whole card was scrapped and the fight was sent to a purse bid. The only promoter to issue a bid was Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions for the minimum of $25,000.

Under a purse bid, the champion is entitled to 85% while the challenger receives 15%. While Ancajas was promised $40,000 for the original fight date in Puerto Rico, he’s only entitled to $3,750 under the new purse bid. It’s considerably smaller than his non-title purses for fights in Macau, for which he made $10,000 each. Arroyo receives $21,250 under the bid.

“Everybody here is in this business to make money. We know from the beginning that this is not the best place to make money for everybody,” said Arroyo’s promoter Peter Rivera, president of PR Best Boxing Promotions.

Jerwin Ancajas isn't bothered by making a small purse for his first world title fight. Photo by Ryan Songalia/Rappler

Ancajas, a native of Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Philippines, isn’t concerned about making a small amount for the fight. He’s hoping having homecourt advantage will be enough to grab the belt, after which he can earn bigger purses for title defenses.

“I am not thinking of the prize right now, however big or small. My focus is to win the fight,” said Ancajas.

“Money is not important, what’s important is that we get the belt and he will be a champion,” said Joven Jimenez, manager/trainer of Ancajas. “Even if we have no purse here, we will fight.”

Manny Pacquiao, who is the promoter for the show, is not yet confirmed to attend the fight due to a birthday party he’ll be attending out of town. Pacquiao is known for being charitable as a benefactor for Philippine athletes, but didn’t state outright whether he’d give Ancajas a bonus if he won the title when asked on Wednesday.

“I think bringing a world title home to the Philippines on his card, I think it’s pretty much a given. I can’t guarantee it but with [Pacquiao’s history], Jerwin is in line for a pretty sizeable amount bonus,” Ramos says.

Arroyo, a 2008 Olympian, is not bothered by fighting in his opponent’s hometown. He started boxing at age 11 in 1997, and by 1998 he was sparring world champion John John Molina ahead of his IBF lightweight championship fight with Shane Mosley. The camp admitted it was a bit odd doing their running around Manila Memorial Park cemetery in Sucat, Paranaque City but say they had been treated professionally by the promotion and were ready to just get on with the fight.

“As long as there’s a boxing ring, there’s some things we have to deal with,” says Arroyo, who hasn’t fought since defeating Filipino boxer Arthur Villanueva in July of 2015 to win the vacant belt. “When the bell rings let’s see his style of fighting and mine. Little by little we’ll show everybody how we need to fight.

“My mentality is to be the winner. I have to do everything possible to be the winner because I want to defend my title 100 percent.” – Rappler.com

_________________Let's get ready to Rumble in the Jungle when the bells will Jingle to start the Bungle!

Ancajas (25-1-1, 16 knockouts) of Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Philippines used his right jab to set the rhythm in the first two rounds, and scored a knockdown in round 8 to win a unanimous decision over Arroyo (17-1, 8 KOs) of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The scores were 118-109 115-112 and 117-110.

"When he established his jab in the first round, I saw he will win," said Ancajas' trainer Joven Jimenez.

Afterwards, Arroyo, who hadn't fought since winning the title in July of 2015, said he felt out of rhythm and was reduced to trying to brawl with Ancajas, who at 23 is 7 years his junior. Arroyo's camp did not protest the decision.

Ancajas had accepted just $3,750 of the $25,000 minimum purse bid for the fight, but wasn't concerned about the purse as he felt he could make more money defending the title. Arroyo made $21,250 as champion.

"I'm so thankful that I won this fight. I hope in my next fight I'll be able to make more," said Ancajas.

Ancajas had dedicated the fight to his home province of Davao, which was devastated by an explosion last night which left scores dead.

"Despite what happened last night I hope I could inspire a bit of happiness because of this win," said Ancajas.

Ancajas said it wasn't his call who he fought next, but rather it was that of Manny Pacquiao's MP Promotions. Trainer Joven Jimenez is looking to the biggest possible fight - a showdown with The Ring magazine's pound for pound champion Roman Gonzalez, who is moving up in weight to the 115 pound division, where Ancajas is now one of the champions.

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